“He has become cool now,” Daniil Medvedev reflects on Joao Fonseca’s progress in the ATP Tour
Joao Fonseca has already recorded 23 wins across all levels in his second year in the ATP Tour.
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Daniil Medvedev and Joao Fonseca (via X/Madrid Open/ATP)
Joao Fonseca has become the biggest ATP sensation this season and has been making headlines. Despite being only 18, the Brazilian has already won one tour-level title and has earned his first Top 10 win. World No.10 Daniil Medvedev admitted that Fonseca has become cool as he continues to fly high this season.
Fonseca began the year by triumphing at the Canberra Challenger and last month won the Arizona Tennis Classics, one of the six tournaments of the 175 level. The two victories have taken his tally to 10-0 at the Challenger level this season. He made a name for himself at the Australian Open, where he stunned Andrey Rublev in straight sets in the first round.
This is just his second season on the ATP Tour and he’s already in the Top 70 of the rankings. Also, he has tallied a 23-6 win-loss record across all levels this season and won the Argentina Open in February. He has been compared to Roger Federer and Brazilian legend Gustavo Kuerten on seven occasions this season.
Medvedev was asked if he had noticed any changes in the tennis sensation this season. The former World No.3 revealed that he watched him training at the Madrid Open and noticed he has become cool.
He hit the ball really hard, and the guys from the top 8 who were there said: “Wow, he’s going to be cool”, and he has become cool now. But in general, no, I don’t train with young people on purpose. I try to watch the match as it goes because even a three-set match is long, so you have enough time to understand whether he’s going to miss the next shot or not. In training, I think it is impossible to play against Joao because he simply hits with full force. Sometimes he hits, sometimes he misses, but I am sure that in a match he will not do that. During matches, everyone gets a little nervous and does not hit the ball as hard.
Joao Fonseca said via Madrid Open Press
Fonseca succumbed to a second-round loss against Tommy Paul at the Madrid Open. The Brazilian is currently in Portugal for the Estoril Open, he faces Jesper De Jong in his opening match.
Daniil Medvedev produced a spectacular performance to reach the round of 16 in Madrid
Daniil Medvedev wasted no time adjusting to the harsh conditions at the Madrid Open after producing a masterclass performance against Juan Manuel Cerundolo. The Russian has to wait until the third round to open his account at the tournament after Laslo Djere withdrew from their match due to injury. The 29-year-old blew away Cerundolo in the third round 6-2, 6-2, and revealed she performed well against the Argentine.
I felt good in practice here, but it’s not the same in a match. Practice courts are usually a tiny bit different to the centre court. For sure [I was] a bit nervous because we have a small superstition as tennis players that, the worse you play before the tournament, the better you play in it, and the better you play before, the worse you play in the matches.
Daniil Medvedev said
Medvedev is seeking to reach the semi-final of the Madrid Open for the first time in his career. He has done well to reach the last four of other WTA 1000 in his career.
Daniil Medvedev’s chances of winning the Madrid Open after first win
Daniil Medvedev produced a high-quality performance of the week at the Madrid Open, but there are still questions about his consistency this season. The Russian has won only 15 matches this season and failed to produce great tennis in high-level matches. In fact, he has failed to reach a final on the ATP tour this year.
However, he’s hoping to change all that and has a big chance of doing so. The tournament is without its favorite (Carlos Alcaraz) and Novak Djokovic exited in the second round. This means, Alexander Zverev is the only major Top 3 player left in the draw. If Medvedev can play the way he did against Juan Manuel Cerundolo, he has a big chance of ending his disappointing streak.
He also has the chance to pick his first title since winning the ATP Masters 1000 in Rome in 2023. Also, this May be the best opportunity for Medvedev to shut down his critics this season. He faced American Brandon Nakashima in the Round of 16 on Monday (April 29).
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